So where was he? Blame it on Irene! His rep tells Us Weekly the 29-year-old's absence was related to the hurricane that swept the East Coast over the weekend.

Sans Sorrentino, the rest of the cast boarded a private jet Saturday morning in Teterboro, NJ -- just in time to avoid getting grounded by the very-serious Hurricane Irene. 'Mike got stuck due to the rain and couldn't make the flight 'Mike got stuck due to the rain and couldn't make the flight," the rep tells Us.

Their missing pal Tweeted apologetically: "I wish I could be at the VMA's but all flights were grounded because of the Hurricane...thanks again for always having my back! For all the Haters who are mad by what really happened, keep Hating!"